Dollhouse Trailer (revised) - Dollhouse

Shiny Eliza!

Like this version better, it's definetly more commercial and professional than the other one.

[EDIT: The Graduation Day shot was taken out of the trailer... I think the bar scene is gone too.]

[ edited by danielgm86 on 2008-05-18 02:59 ]

dnlmglhs | May 18, 05:54 CET

Is there a high res version?

pat32082 | May 18, 05:56 CET

Yay they got rid of Papyrus! And Buffy!

Trek_Girl42 | May 18, 06:00 CET

I'm so damn excited for this. It's going to be amazing. Awesome trailer!

HowlingLupe | May 18, 06:00 CET

Yay someone listened to me about the papyrus :p

[ edited by alexa on 2008-05-18 03:02 ]

alexa | May 18, 06:02 CET

Damn I was trying to resist seeing anything that would get me over-hyper about this show, but I just had to take a peek. Now I am in agony until January!

chance | May 18, 06:04 CET

Wow, don't the changes make you feel all focus-groupy and stuff?

; >

There are very few people I'd be in a focus group for, and one of them would be Joss (and most of the others are long gone) so it's all good.

I think they did a smashing re-do, and thanks to gossi and his helpers for getting this up for us to see. I'm so juiced... or I would be if I felt better. 'Nighty... for reals, I hope.

QuoterGal | May 18, 06:13 CET

Hmm, still too high-res to play on my old pc, unfortunately. Any youtubing going on yet (or is that not allowed, because the video's were removed last time round?).

GVH | May 18, 06:17 CET

Any youtubing going on yet

It's already on youtube, but it's displaying this message:

This is a private video. If you have been sent this video, please make sure you accept the sender's friend request.

dnlmglhs | May 18, 06:41 CET

Well I know I'm in the minority, but I actually liked the cheesy papyrus font of the original. AND I loved the Foo Fighters song used... but my copyright attorney better half joked that they probably didn't have the rights to use that in the first place.

However, aside from that I'm still L-O-V-I-N-G this trailer. A few new scenes added in... some actual footage to replace the Faith vs. Buffy placeholder from the last one. No more is-it-or-isn't-it-Amber scene.

Haunt | May 18, 06:45 CET

I just love it all so much. I keep thinking I can't possibly be more excited and then there's something new. <3 Joss. <3 Dollhouse.

Scaniano | May 18, 06:50 CET

hot chicks line is gone...

maxsummers | May 18, 06:53 CET

The one thing I'm concerned about is that the upfronts version is all over the internet, there's still two links on youtube that I could find. If that's a problem for FOX, the people who put it there should replace it with the new one, right??

dnlmglhs | May 18, 06:54 CET

The ones remaining on YouTube will be removed.

zeitgeist | May 18, 07:03 CET

Wow, the comments about the papyrus and the other stuff has caused changes to the trailer, (which is still awesome and crunchy, BTW's).

Yayness! By the power of Greyskull! We have the power!

RollingInKittens | May 18, 07:05 CET

OH MY LORDIE!!!!
It's great....
Joss... oh Joss....
Wow... speechless...

Only problem... her Spanish was a little bit off...

I'm soo impressed...

hbojo | May 18, 07:05 CET

Ok, lets not overdo it ;) The Papyrus and placeholder scenes were clearly never meant to be final. It was meant to give the brass an idea of what to expect while the final renders/edits were done, I'm sure.

zeitgeist | May 18, 07:09 CET

Yeah, I think the first trailer was a little bit rushed to be done in time for the FOX upfront. Does anyone else think the new logo screams "ELIZA DUSHKU, FOX'S NEXT BEST SUPERSTAR"? :D

dnlmglhs | May 18, 07:13 CET

I didn't notice/mind the Papyrus and the other stuff anyways, was just hypnotised by the whole darn glossy thing!

RollingInKittens | May 18, 07:18 CET

I was wondering how good her Spanish was, hbojo. So, not quite right, huh? Wouldn't the handlers be able to program perfect Spanish for a client who wanted that?

Oh well, nitpick.

shambleau | May 18, 07:23 CET

I'd say this trailer even rocks my socks off even more than the other one, which I thought was impossible. I guess I was wrong. :)

crazygolfa | May 18, 07:24 CET

Well, I hear every single foreign language line that Jennifer Garner delivered on Alias had some sort of "problem" to it. I can say for sure that when she spoke portuguese, she wasn't speaking portuguese, unless it's the variety they speak in Portugal or Africa.

dnlmglhs | May 18, 07:26 CET

I was kinda hypnotized by Eliza at first. And kinda still am. She's all over the place in this trailer - gun happy, in love, unhappy, happy - and she's nailing every minute. Plus I think they did an amazing job with the sets.

My hope is that the first episode - once FOX and Joss are happy with it and know where they are going - gets put on Hulu for streaming, or (properly) given to me to put online. You know, in - say - August. Why? Pilots leak all the time anyway. Every year, every single FOX pilot leaks onto the internet. So why not post it online themselves, using Hulu, which Fox is a business partner of? They get some advertising money, and we - the fans - get to see the first ep. Additionally, it'll end up all over the internet. Buzz. Actual buzz. People will actually know about the show before it airs (or, in the case of Firefly, before it was cancelled and on DVD). And they can control distribution of the ep. There's a few issues with the plan (having online rights for the music, etc), but I think it's absolutely doable, it would cost hardly any more (in fact, it'd probably make it back via advertising), it's never been done before, it's incredibly ballsey and exactly what they need to do. This show has a target demographic of young, technologically aware people. Clearly. Where do you promote that? Online. How do you promote it? Show people it.

Seriously. That's an argument somebody else needs to make to the right people.

[ edited by gossi on 2008-05-18 04:27 ]

gossi | May 18, 07:27 CET

Well said.

zeitgeist | May 18, 07:31 CET

gossi, I'm a little worried now that I noticed the Fringe trailer has been clicked way more than the Dollhouse trailer on youtube. As of now, the shows have been mentioned on pretty much the same articles, it's a little weird Dollhouse didn't get as much attention :(

dnlmglhs | May 18, 07:32 CET

JJ Abrams is still bigger than Joss, and hence more clickage. Undeservedly so, in my opinion, because it's becoming clear that the man can begin many a good thing, but can't come up with decent endings. But yeah, still bigger.

If Dollhouse takes off, that'll change.

ManEnoughToAdmitIt | May 18, 07:37 CET

danielgm86, Fringe is a J.J. Abrams show, and he's been all over the place in the mainstream public eye consistently for years now. Like it or not, justly or not, Joss hasn't. So it's not surprising to me that Fringe links might be getting more play.

@theonetruebix | May 18, 07:37 CET

heh heh heh ..
yes shambleau .. I speak "Mexicoan"

I am in awe of Joss for many reasons... so a little bad Spanish.. I can forgive..

hbojo | May 18, 07:38 CET

danielgm86, worry not. The official Fringe video FOX placed on Youtube got 51 views in the first 24 hours. The unofficial videos people placed online got about 22k or so views, but Dollhouse has had far, far more than that (and I can say that with some degree of certainty, 'cos I distributed the trailer).

Dollhouse has been the most viewed trailer of the upfronts for - I believe - all networks. So, uhm, I'll await that thank you note from FOX.. :P Dollhouse also has something like 15 fan websites now, and a presence across Facebook, Livejournal, Youtube - there's wikis, blogs... Compare it to Firefly - after the Firefly pilot shot, I don't think there was a single website for it. I think Kiba's site came a bit later. The only reason I point that out is this: there's buzz for this, growing from the ground up.

Speaking of which, it's nearly 5am here. Time for some cookies and milk.

[ edited by gossi on 2008-05-18 04:42 ]

gossi | May 18, 07:39 CET

I'm sure gossi will come back and reply (he may be sleeping, and bloody well should be!), but he mentioned to me that their was an aggregate in excess of 50,000 hits for Dollhouse. The combined total for both parts of the Fringe trailer being less than 25k (with part one having 90% of those hits). From what I've seen critics are lining up behind Dollhouse as an early pick for breakout show of the Fall. Having said that, lets not get too carried away at this point in time. Long road ahead, but things look positive from where I sit. Big buzz, supportive executive team, killer writing/acting/directing.

ETA: What gossi said ;)

[ edited by zeitgeist on 2008-05-18 04:41 ]

zeitgeist | May 18, 07:41 CET

I get it. It's just sad. I'm not saying JJ Abrams doesn't deserve it. I pretty much love Alias, eventhough I think the series finale should have been way better! I like the first seaosn of Lost, but then it was just building up to more cliffhangers, I don't know how people don't get frustrated with a show where *nothing* is resolved ever. I'm really not excited about Fringe, but I think that if it does well in the ratings department, Dollhouse could beneffit from that.

dnlmglhs | May 18, 07:42 CET

I don't know how people don't get frustrated with a show where *nothing* is resolved ever.

Well, for one thing, Lost isn't a show where nothing is resolved ever. Those of us who have watched the entire thing know this. ;)

@theonetruebix | May 18, 07:44 CET

theonetruebix, I just thought of that, I stopped watching Lost after the 11th or 12th episode of season 3 because to me it felt like they were going nowhere, but I think I'll give it another shot and rent the DVDs. If it gets me hooked again, I'll watch season 4.

[ edited by danielgm86 on 2008-05-18 04:48 ]

dnlmglhs | May 18, 07:48 CET

"Iron Man" is displaced as my most-watched trailer.

Pointy | May 18, 08:01 CET

I might have some kind of software missing... but I can't see the new trailer. It's been "loading" for ten minutes now. :(

Still, the Papyrus is gone? I liked the Papyrus! I love that font.

Braeden Fireheart | May 18, 08:04 CET

This trailer works very well. The papyrus thing got old. I liked the effect with the multiple lines, but the font simply did not work. Leave it to Serenity :-)
Are they going to shoot all the episodes before they even air, like with Buffy?

Valentyn | May 18, 08:06 CET

But Braeden, not for this show, surely? Papyrus was originally hand-lettered by designer Chris Costello in 1982, who said:

"I soon came up with what I thought vernacular writing may have looked like if the English language existed 2000 years ago."

and

"Today, it is so overused, I would not use it unless there was some very unique application that called for it."

I so agree. (And if anyone has time, read the whole interview at the link - it's kinda interesting...)

QuoterGal | May 18, 08:11 CET

It looks awesome! At first I thought those were just random paint splatters in the back of the new font, but then I realized they were pictures of Eliza. Very cool.

ShanshuBugaboo | May 18, 08:35 CET

Fringe will, of course get a lot of attention. JJ Abrams is a much more well known name and I expect the show to be wonderful and am very excited about it. Lost is amazing and is totally rewarding the folks that stuck with it and thumbing its nose at those who had no faith or patience.

Fringe will be an amazing exciting show. Dollhouse will be loved. I will assume that everyone involved is perfectly ok with that.

IrrationaliTV | May 18, 09:06 CET

Fringe is a show I'd love to see. Dollhouse is the show I must see.

Effulgent | May 18, 09:19 CET

OMG... That was even prettier... Just awesome...

Djungelurban | May 18, 09:19 CET

Just gave this a standing ovation.

(Which got a few quizzical looks from the family, since I'm at my Mother's for Sunday lunch.)

missb | May 18, 09:33 CET

Wow. This version has a distinctly creepier feel to it.

And some definitely specific Jossian themes showing up. We now know that the Actives ARE volunteers - at least putatively. And we can see something of how their status was pitched to them. A washing away of all bad memories, of all regrets. What would make someone want to take such a step? Presumably, hopefully, we will at some point learn something about the pasts of these people just as, in a better world, we would have learned something more about the pasts that drove some of those who found themselves on board a particular spaceship. An earlier posting mentioned that when not on assignment the Actives exist in a state of bliss - is there a sense in which these people have come into their present state in a search for their own kind of Serenity?

You can wipe away a memory, but can you wipe away a soul? Interesting that this is the reverse side of what happens to vampires in the Buffyverse. The vampires keep their memories, aspects of their personalities, but they lose their souls - their moral compass, their self-beingness. We are looking at the question of what makes a person themself, from opposite perspectives. But Echo is remembering - she's somehow retaining a little of what's supposed to be wiped away. We can anticipate that this is going to make her curious, make her want to remember, to know, to be who she is. Isn't this, in a way, the same path that Spike's journey took? He was the vampire who somehow retained just enough of his humanity, to make him want more of it, to make him decide to fight for the return of his soul.

And what's so interesting is that, that wasn't how Joss created him. We know that he was supposed to be just another badass vampire, he wasn't even originally planned to survive to the end of Season 2. But something emerged out of the combination of the writing and the actor, how James Marsters took on the character, playing him, as he's said, with just a little more soul than was written, that took him in a direction his creator hadn't anticipated for him. Now Joss has created a character who is a creation of others and becoming something more than what her creators had anticipated. A reflection on what it means to be a writer, a creator, and have your creations take on an identity that you didn't anticipate?

Lots of fun layers to play with here. And the fact that being an Active apparently gives you the ability to hold your breath underwater indefinitely.

barboo | May 18, 09:34 CET

I was wondering how good her Spanish was, hbojo. So, not quite right, huh? Wouldn't the handlers be able to program perfect Spanish for a client who wanted that?

There are a lot of idiomatic variations to Spanish (just as there are to English). You'd have to specify WHICH "perfect" Spanish you wanted. Unless her assignment is to appear to be a native of some specific region of one of the many areas in the world where Spanish is spoken, being able to understand and be understood would be sufficient.

barboo | May 18, 09:42 CET

Fine, fine, I caved! I watched.

My first coherent thought: "What...the...fuck?" (but in the good kind of way of being bewildered, with a smile)

I love the [probably evil] boss lady already. She'll be fun to watch.

Weirdly enough, it doesn't feel like I've been without Eliza Dushku-filled entertainment as long as I actually have (2003, finale ep of Buffy). She was so present in Brian K. Vaughan's Faith arc of the Season 8 comics, I mean he just nailed her voice and personality so perfectly...and credit has to be given to the lasting impression due to Eliza's performance on the show and the arcs she was given (especially during Seasons 3/4 of Buffy and Season 1 of Angel).

So much for wanting to go further into DVD-only viewing. This looks like as-it-airs required viewing the same way Dexter is for me and Lost became again in Season 3/4 (I could stand to switch to DVD-only for Heroes at this point though, maybe Big Love too, even though that's probably the only drama that airs anymore during the summer).

Kris | May 18, 09:44 CET

I didn't have a problem with the papyrus so much as the way they photoshopped it to move around since it was so obviously photoshopped.

And I don't understand why they don't just use my Dollhouse logo on my work desktop, it's gorgeous!! Never mind the fact that nobody but me has seen it and it includes 2 dozen copyrighted photos from at least that many commercial photographers... :D TeeHee. Anyway, what they have isn't immediately evocative of a dollhouse roof, they should turn the H into a chimney and have the 'doll' and 'ouse' symmetrically slanted. But I'm not picky, not at all.

cabri | May 18, 10:33 CET

Ooh, nice! I like the changes, though I am a little sad to see the quick BtVS clip gone. Still, didn't expect it to remain.

I also like this better, without the line about high tech stuff with hot chicks. I think that it gave the wrong message about the show, since Joss is obviously not one to objectify women (even if the character is...). The thing about the dolls being anyone/thing is more the whole gist. Hopefully 'twill hook and intrigue people who will tune in.

As for the Spanish, it's completely passable. She has a gringa accent, but that is to be forgiven. The phrase itself was fine to me, gramatically and in terms of diction. I've even heard similar phrases spoken by a Spanish-speaking friend, not from Mexico, but one of the South American countries. Maybe Colombia?
At any rate, she gets the point across.

Love, love Olivia Williams. Great new addition to our Whedony actors to follow and love and revere. Excited about Harry Lennix, who is awesome, not to mention quite good looking. Excitement over Eliza goes without saying.

Where is Numfar? He should do the dance of joy!

BandofBuggered | May 18, 10:45 CET

Anyway, what they have isn't immediately evocative of a dollhouse roof, they should turn the H into a chimney and have the 'doll' and 'ouse' symmetrically slanted.

Then it will look like a TV show presented by Hasbro. Granted, that's likely a step up from a show abut swingers, but still...

@theonetruebix | May 18, 10:52 CET

b!Xy: Then it will look like a TV show presented by Hasbro.

But that's good! It's a built-in sponsor! :D

cabri | May 18, 11:02 CET

Wow. I've gotta say, even though this is mostly the same footage, what an improvement! I loved the first trailer, but was kind of disappointed by the look and feel. Not at all with this one!

Oh boy, oh boy, oh boy. I feel like Joss is back! January needs to be NOW!

ETA: About the Spanish...in the script for "Restless," in the scene where Giles and Anya start speaking in badly dubbed Spanish to Xander, there's a note that says Joss has no idea how to speak Spanish and that no one is perfect. ;-)

[ edited by UnpluggedCrazy on 2008-05-18 08:07 ]

UnpluggedCrazy | May 18, 11:06 CET

The newest Dollhouse trailer (all new footage!) can be found here.

Simon | May 18, 11:41 CET

Haha. Are you by chance Alicia's agent? I thought this was posted a while back. ;-) Maybe I saw it at dollverse.

cabri | May 18, 12:11 CET

hot chicks line is gone...

I noticed that! That was my second favorite line in the trailer =/

Overall, I think I like the first version better, Foo Fighters and all. It seemed to have more energy and be a little more focused.

dispatch | May 18, 13:04 CET

Love the trailer, so much so I finally decided to post a comment for once. With the end of The Wire and The Sopranos, plus BSG ending soon enough, my TV diet is crying out for some quality.

I can say for sure that when she spoke portuguese, she wasn't speaking portuguese, unless it's the variety they speak in Portugal

Just had to mention this is one of my favourite comments of all time (I know it's out of context, but it made me chuckle anyway :))

pfxcarty | May 18, 13:32 CET

Anyone know where I can download the revised version for my Ipod?

Joss is even much more of an icon than Buffy ever was.:o

Donnie | May 18, 13:35 CET

Hmm, I liked the previous version more - mainly because of the music, which gave it more drive and energy.

On the other hand, I have to admit that this version looks more professionally done.

Anuris | May 18, 14:17 CET

I don't think anyone's linked this yet... the trailer's hosted on archive.org, there's currently only a low-res version (but still better than youtube), but if you want an easy way to download it for offline viewing, here's the link:

http://ia360902.us.archive.org/0/items/DollhouseTrailer/

Download the .flv file. To watch it, you can use VLC Media Player (http://www.videolan.org), and I think there are some programs around on the Internet to convert it to other formats for your iPod or whatever.

P.S. Thanks for the link to that interview QuoterGal, interesting stuff.

MattK | May 18, 14:21 CET

If you want to convert the .flv version of the trailer--so that it will play on your computer--you can go to media-convert.com. Just put ".flv" as the input, and whatever format you choose (for example ".wmv") as the output. It takes a couple of minutes, but is very simple. I think that will work for your ipod too.

[ edited by ShanshuBugaboo on 2008-05-18 11:50 ]

ShanshuBugaboo | May 18, 14:48 CET

Much, much better. Not only in that everything has been cleaned up, with the clips of Buffy and the music gone but the footage seemed better editied. It looks less like an action show and I think that is the smart way to advertise it.

On the subject of J.J. Abrams I think he has an excellent ability to start something but no idea how to finish it. Alias started brilliantly but I've heard goes downhill after season 2, he created Lost but as far as I know has had no creative input since season 1. Damon Lindelof and Carlton Cuse are the brains behind that show and Mission Impossible 3 has a terrible third act. I reckon it will be the same with Fringe.

Dave B | May 18, 15:20 CET

Well, actually, much like Lost, J.J. won't actually be showrunner on Fringe. Jeff Pinkner, who's an executive producer on Lost right now, will be holding the reigns.

[ edited by Winther on 2008-05-18 13:01 ]

Winther | May 18, 16:00 CET

I'm looking forward to Fringe greatly. And it'll nice to see Josh being not!pacey.

gossi | May 18, 16:02 CET

"An earlier posting mentioned that when not on assignment the Actives exist in a state of bliss"

I'm waiting for the episode with a post-Dollhouse ex-Active. "When we wiped the memories of your missions, we also wiped the five years of ignorant bliss you experienced. Sorry you don't feel any different than when you arrived here five years ago."

Also, I have been to many swimming pools, but I have yet to find one with Eliza underwater in the shallow end... Bummer.

OneTeV | May 18, 16:09 CET

Whoa. Good trailer.

Hopefully it'll hit Australian shores in the not-too-distant future. The networks experimented with running new shows on the air at the same time as their American counterparts in the hopes of attracting audiences - they called it "Fast-tracking" - but they had the rather unfortunate problem of doing so just before the writers' strike ...

But as the picket lines have long since left and everything's sorted, maybe they'll try again (I doubt it though; they only ever fast-tracked programmes in their second season or older).

quantum | May 18, 16:26 CET

Frickin awesome! Shame that we didn't get to see Amy but oh well, oh and is that a real brit or a 'james marsters' brit lol

shesmyeverything | May 18, 16:42 CET

I knew I recognised her! Dichen Lachman, she was on neighbors lol

shesmyeverything | May 18, 16:59 CET

quantum, I can see Seven picking up Dollhouse and running with it. Theyll do there whole ad campaign with some terrible pop song and claim it as a 'Seven Fast-track'....

Whatevs Im still gonna download them asap anyway...

aus-mitch | May 18, 17:11 CET

Or you can check two articles down and see Channel Ten has picked it up. As long as they dont give it a 'Smallville' treatment.

aus-mitch | May 18, 17:13 CET

aus-mitch, a quick search says Channel Ten are the ones who have picked it up; they're apparently the second international syndication after Canada. I suppose it's not altogether unexpected given their proclivity for targeting the younger pseudo-trendy audiences. Of course, they'll still run it with a pop song of some description, and I'm like to still watch it. I'll just get it on DVD once it hits shelves.

I'm just more than a little curious as to how this will affect the 'verse. This has probably been covered elsewhere, but Dollhouse will either occupy most of Joss' time, meaning we won't be going back to Serenity, or it'll attract a lot of attention - the positive kind - that could lead to some kind of renewed project in the 'verse. In the mean time, I'll have to stick to the graphic novels; I forsee that as being the main medium the series lives on in for the time being.

But enough of that; this is about Dollhouse, not Firefly, and I won't be the one to hijack the thread on what is only my third post around these places.

quantum | May 18, 17:19 CET

barboo, great comment, including the underwater bit.

BandofBuggered, you're right about Olivia: real authority already in her character.

Is it January yet?

doghouse | May 18, 17:22 CET

Much improvement from a "more professional" point of view, but I'd love to see the Foo Fighters back in the mix, their music lent an immediacy and contemporary feel to the rough cut, as well as more energy.
And I for one was glad to see the "hot chicks" line removed.

Today my cousin came over & I showed her the trailer. She's the one fellow Joss fanatic who lives nearby to me. Her first comment was "that gave me chills". :-)

Shey | May 18, 17:26 CET

Pity she still can't act though.

Pumps | May 18, 17:27 CET

Who can't, Pumps?

gossi | May 18, 17:34 CET

Hadn't seen anything on Dollhouse until today. I was pretty impressed. There's a lot of potential, without a doubt, but I wasn't really feeling it in the first part of the trailer.

Then I saw Tahmoh; everything's gonna be okay. Good timeslot, high production value, ace writer- I now see how this kicks ass.

Samwel Roberts | May 18, 18:16 CET

Thank you for the technical download know-how, MattK and ShanshuBugaboo.

Enjoying the opposite acting styles shown by Olivia and Eliza as well as their respective characters. The former is formal, proper, cultivated, utterly controlled and controlling -- her diction and comportment stage-perfect. The latter lets the emotions boil up and out. Perfect choices for the puppet master and unwitting (while on the job, at least) puppet who doesn't even know she's acting. Kind of an Olivier vs. Brando, cooked vs. raw dynamic. The Strawberry Blonde Auteur sure does layer in the metaphors!
The former speaks in perfect paragraphs and reveals nothing, the latter gives herself away in the ungrammatical "I'm not nobody." (In fact, Eliza's so natural and informal it feels weird referring to her as "the latter.")
Will enjoy seeing the former lose control over time as the latter gains it.

[ edited by Pointy on 2008-05-18 15:21 ]

Pointy | May 18, 18:20 CET

Whedonites, I need your help.

I want desperately to get excited about Dollhouse but I can't bring myself to do so.

It's not that I don't love Joss or Eliza because I do and it's not because I don't think this show will be awesome but the show is on Fox which means that it will be excellent, receive rave reviews and Fox will cancel it after 2 episodes.

I'm still scarred from Firefly's cancellation. Quite frankly I don't think I can take another heartbreak. Is anyone else worried about this? How did you guys get over that worry so you can get excited about the show because that's where I want to be.

Please share your wisdom with me so I can get giddy with fanboy glee.

Neo-Prodigy | May 18, 18:26 CET

@ Neo-Prodigy:

Even only two episodes of a Whedon show is better than no Whedon show at all. They produce thirteen episodes, so even if it tanks and FOX decides to cancel it, we'll have 13 great episodes on DVD at some point.

Donnie | May 18, 18:32 CET

we'll have 13 great episodes on DVD at some point.

Yep. Just like The Inside.

<thread-hijack>
I really don't understand why The Inside has never been released on DVD. Does Fox (studio) really think that the sales wouldn't even cover DVD production and marketing costs? (Knowing that marketing would be bare minimum.) That's hard to believe.
</thread-hijack>

MissKittysMom | May 18, 18:45 CET

Neo-Prodigy: "I'm not so afraid of losing something that I won't try havin' it. You and I would make one beautiful baby. I want to meet that child one day."
- Zoe to Wash

gossi | May 18, 19:00 CET

For a Whedon show, I have no doubt there will be a DVD.

Neoprodigy, as Donnie said, don't think of it as the beginning of an ongoing series, think of it as a close-ended 13 episode series that you will either see on TV or on DVD. We just aren't sure yet. And, yea! maybe they will do another set after that someday...or not. Either way, you have the 13 episode series.

newcj | May 18, 19:05 CET

Either way, you have the 13 episode series.

Well that depends when they're shooting the 13 episodes. Will they still be filming Dollhouse when the show airs in January? Cause if that's the case and the show tanks like Drive, we might not get 13 episodes. Course that's the cheery Ulster optimist in me speaking.

Simon | May 18, 19:08 CET

I got goosebumps!! I am sooo looking forward to January!

jenofthejungle | May 18, 19:21 CET

mark:

...oh and is that a real brit or a 'james marsters' brit lol

Olivia Williams is a true Brit.

[ edited by JMaloney on 2008-05-18 16:34 ]

JMaloney | May 18, 19:33 CET

Since apparently they have started filming now and are not broadcasting until January, it seems logical that all the episodes will be shot before broadcast. If they were broadcasting in August or september I would assume that they might not film the whole 13 episodes. That's the New Jersey pessimist being repressed. ;-)

newcj | May 18, 19:40 CET

Neo-Prodigy:I'm still scarred from Firefly's cancellation.

Report to the nearest Dollhouse for a little memory modification. :-)

The PurpleOne has mentioned that this is a different regime than the one that (mis)handled Firefly. The L.A. Times posting had this had very encouraging words of support from Fox President of Entertainment Kevin Reilly and Gary Newman, chairman of 20th Century Fox Television.

OneTeV | May 18, 19:41 CET

i like this one.. but as with the first one, i think that the font could look a little more professional.

almost cookies | May 18, 19:42 CET

Oh. This just made me ever so pleased!! And then the mind numbing anguish kicked in, 2009?? How will we ever make it? Woe, woe, buckets of woe!!

It actually looks cooler than it did in my head. (Which, ok, is not difficult, as I am not that creative.) I just loved the whole feel of it. Ah, Joss. You make me smile. Again.

Tarheelfan | May 18, 19:44 CET

Still loving the trailer with all its altered bits and bobs, especailly Olivia and Eliza. Still getting chills when I see the phrase "Joss Whedon invites you to a world" pop up on the screen. Still can't wait for this to get picked up in the UK as soon as possible.

redders | May 18, 19:45 CET

Since apparently they have started filming now and are not broadcasting until January, it seems logical that all the episodes will be shot before broadcast.

Well I gather the first episode is in the can but I haven't seen the sides for the next episodes so there might be a wee gap in filming.

Simon | May 18, 20:34 CET

Thanks guys.

You're absolutely right, it's all about perspective and a little Whedon is better than none. I feel loads better now and January can't get here fast enough.

Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to adhere to OneTev's orders and report to the nearest Dollhouse for a little memory modification.

;D

Neo-Prodigy | May 18, 20:37 CET

Do I have to post this every day? Its not the same Fox. This is the guy in charge now:

from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kevin_Reilly

Early in his career at NBC, Reilly supervised Law & Order in its first season and developed ER. After his first stint at NBC, Reilly was President of Brad Grey Television, the television production arm of Brillstein-Grey Entertainment. He joined Brillstein-Grey in 1994 and helped build the television studio into one of the most successful independent suppliers of television programming. He was responsible for shepherding some of television’s top shows, such as the pilot for The Sopranos, and the NBC comedies Just Shoot Me and NewsRadio.

Before rejoining NBC in May 2004, Reilly served as President of Entertainment for FX, where he developed and launched the cable network's first original drama, The Shield. He also developed and programmed Nip/Tuck and the Denis Leary show Rescue Me for the network. [1]

At NBC, Reilly's vocal support of The Office helped it survive its low-rated first season. [2] He is credited with developing hits such as My Name Is Earl, Heroes, 30 Rock, and Friday Night Lights.[3] Despite having received a new three-year contract at NBC in February 2007, he and NBC mutually agreed to terminate the partnership in late May 2007, and Reilly departed soon after.[4]. Approximately one month later, Reilly was hired as President of Entertainment at FOX.

zeitgeist | May 18, 20:47 CET

Simon, they've shut down production until Julyish. I don't think there's a start date yet. Never the less, they should either complete or be near complete on 13 episodes when it goes to initial air.

If there's an actors strike, obviously, this will have an impact on best made plans.

The best case -- and hopefully likely! -- scenario is that Dollhouse premieres to solid ratings, which means FOX did the promotional thing correctly. If it gets off to a good start, they will order more scripts pretty quickly, which is a great thing.

gossi | May 18, 20:53 CET

Its not the same Fox. This is the guy in charge now:

But middle management will always remain the same. As long as fans accept that Fox will promote the show as heavily as posible and are perfectly entitled to cancel it if it doesn't get the ratings, then I'll be fine.

Simon | May 18, 20:55 CET

Yeah, I don't want to push it too far the other way, just that people are getting way too pessimistic. Being at Fox right now is probably its best chance to survive on network TV right now. Elements of middle management may remain the same, but Reilly has final say and a history of supporting and nurturing quality shows beyond the point where other execs/nets would've cancelled them. Could it still not survive? Sure, most shows don't.

zeitgeist | May 18, 21:03 CET

Poor zeitgeist. You converted me anyways. I'm trying to make with the hope over this whole deal especially after reading up on Reilly. Really what choice do we have? So I've sounded like I have rainbows shooting out my ass with all my positive thinking on Dollhouse (which is not a normal condition for me); but I really do feel hopeful on this. I think Dollhouse has a great chance to be mainstream and successful, so fingers crossed. And besides it's nothing but a buzzkill to concern ourselves with things like being 'realistic'. :)

As for the revised trailer, the font is much better and I heart the colorized shots of Eliza that act as background. Nice.

And gossi, I heart you for rocking the most perfect Browncoat quote in reply to Neo-Prodigy. Really, perfect.

onthedrift | May 18, 21:13 CET

Yep, if it wasn't for Reilly FNL would have been off the air after it's first season. So just because of that, I like him since FNL is one of my favorite shows.

My one complaint with the trailer that they haven't seemed to change is leaving the "Did I fall asleep" scene in there twice. I mean, I get what message it's supposed to bring, but it could possibly be confusing to others. If it was a different scene (different clothes/different time), but the same dialogue with Echo waking up, it would be more interesting. Very small little gripe, as I thought the graphic transitions were much, much better! Glad they took the hot chick line out as well. Very tightened up! Kudos to the trailer team!

Harmalicious | May 18, 21:19 CET

Didn't notice much difference (guess I'm just unobservant), but it definitely looked much more refined and professional. Besides, where's the harm in rewatching awesome? Oh, I love the title and font for Dollhouse over the dual pics of Eliza - very nice.

Supersymmetrical | May 18, 21:25 CET

I like this trailer a lot but I do wish there wasn't such a strong "It's Faith" feel to most of what we see of Eliza. I talked this over with a bunch of people at a shindig last night and they argued that it was because strong chicks are big right now so it made sense to show that aspect. And that could well be right but it still feels like "Faith with her memories wiped".

Lioness | May 18, 21:29 CET

Harmalicious, you might be giving people to little credit. I got it right away and I am not that bright.

IrrationaliTV | May 18, 21:33 CET

Have to say I'm loving the small added clip where Echo stands up to dance at the wedding. She just exudes love. And that smile...wow.

It looks better overall, mainly because it's obviously better quality, the colour is much deeper.

Leaf | May 18, 21:36 CET

TamaraC, I'm not talking about anyone here, as we are all brilliant of course :) Just thinking about your average 24 or American Idol watcher. But, perhaps you're right...maybe I just don't have much faith in our American audiences. I guess we'll just have to see...

Harmalicious | May 18, 21:44 CET

I have to say I'm unclear on whether the scene is repeated twice just in the trailer or in the actual pilot. If the latter is the case a change of clothes etc would be completely wrong as the Actives would no doubt be freaked out if they fell asleep in one lot of clothes and woke up in another, or if Topher was suddenly wearing a hat. Though how much they remember of their day-to-day activities remains to be seen, presumably they forget each day otherwise they'd find it strange to keep falling asleep in Topher's office.

Leaf | May 18, 21:48 CET

Topher should never wear a hat. His hair is made of awesome. He's all about the hair.

gossi | May 18, 21:54 CET

I think anyone who might not understand the repeated scene just might not notice that it is there.

IrrationaliTV | May 18, 21:54 CET

If I didn't know & love Joss Whedon's work-- I wouldn't be interested in this show. Young women having sex with wrinkly old men--not exactly a turn-on.

stellabee | May 18, 22:10 CET

gossi has a hair crush.

@theonetruebix | May 18, 22:11 CET

it still feels like "Faith with her memories wiped"

Not to me--I've never seen that madly-in-love look on Faith's face, and the scene w/the FBI guy doesn't seem very Faith-like to me, either.

Young women having sex with wrinkly old men...
Did I miss a sex scene? Guess I'll have to watch it again.

jcs | May 18, 22:17 CET

I can't wait for Kristin's Q&A with Joss an Eliza on E!Online, I thought she was going to post that on Friday, I hope it's there tomorrow.

dnlmglhs | May 18, 22:28 CET

I can't get into the trailer on dollverse anymore. It locks up Firefox completely and is interminably loading on IE. Part of it might be my slow connection, but I had no trouble with it last night.

cabri | May 18, 22:42 CET

Wow, just noticed something silly-ish.. in the end of the trailer there's a very short, fast close shot of an eye, like in the opening credits of Tru Callin. In the Tru Callin sequence the eye was green and Eliza joked about it on the DVD commentary saying that was definetly not her eye :)

[ edited by danielgm86 on 2008-05-18 19:52 ]

dnlmglhs | May 18, 22:51 CET

It's back up again, cabri. I may need to take the trailer back offline again in a few hours as it's near impossible to keep the thing online - too many people are trying to watch it.

Which, er, is not a bad thing in itself.

[ edited by gossi on 2008-05-18 19:56 ]

gossi | May 18, 22:53 CET

gossi, just put up the Topher's Hair Cut (get it, get it, "cut") and let people watch that version for awhile.

@theonetruebix | May 18, 22:56 CET

it's great to know that people are all over the trailer, gossi.. btw, congratulations on dollverse.com :)

dnlmglhs | May 18, 22:59 CET

Well, more than likely, young women having sex with wrinkly old men is supposed to be disturbing, not a turn-on, so it's doing its job, stellabee.

I do wish there wasn't such a strong "It's Faith" feel to most of what we see of Eliza.

I agree. And unlike most here, I'm worried about ED being able to carry this off. I think she has a limited range. I saw her in Bring It On and thought she was playing Faith. I saw her being punked by Ashton Kutcher on tv and she reminded me of Faith there too, and that was her real personality, presumably. She has star quality, but that's different from a chameleon-like ability to disappear into every role. Joss sees a more versatile actress than I do and I hope he's right, because a lot is riding on her shoulders. But frankly, I didn't see that much variety in the trailer.

shambleau | May 18, 23:04 CET

The trailer is currently consuming over 2gb of bandwidth a minute. On a Sunday afternoon. That's insane.

gossi | May 18, 23:14 CET

I agree with Joss, Eliza is exactly the person to take on this role. And when she mentioned she was preparing and training for the role, I assumed she was also working with an acting coach to develop a method for the show.

The trailer is currently consuming over 2gb of bandwidth a minute. On a Sunday afternoon. That's insane.

You must've done some great publicity of it :D

[ edited by danielgm86 on 2008-05-18 20:19 ]

dnlmglhs | May 18, 23:16 CET

"I agree. And unlike most here, I'm worried about ED being able to carry this off."

I think I may know what you mean, shambleau. It's not like ED is a great mimic who can do accents and such (neither was SMG). But seeing her as Faith all the time - I don't get that.

If she's always playing herself to an extent, that's what a lot of good actors do.

dreamlogic | May 19, 01:46 CET

The wedding scenes in the trailer are clearly not Faith. In fact, I was very, very impressed just watching Eliza's face, because she certainly convinced me she was in love with that guy.

I think people underestimate her, because she's always been asked to play the Faith/girl with bad ass edge part. And clearly Joss thinks she's underestimated, that's why he created this for her.

And all I have to say is, "Bye Bye Love." She was young, but she was fantastic. In fact, the whole movie is fantastic.

pat32082 | May 19, 02:15 CET

Server down!!!

hbojo | May 19, 02:48 CET

stellabee, if that's all you got from the trailer, I have to seriously wonder if you were watching something else entirely. Like, I'm not saying that to be holier-than-thou, I'm saying that because I honestly cannot comprehend how you inferred that, even if there is a scene of an older-ish guy asking if a Doll could fall in love with him.

UnpluggedCrazy | May 19, 04:01 CET

It's actually kind of sad. I didn't think the guy wanted to have sex with Echo. I think he wanted to take her to the wedding and have someone, so he didn't have to be alone, and so he could have people saying exactly what those women were saying at the table.

You don't ask to have someone fall in love with you if you just want sex. You ask someone to fall in love with you because no one else has, and you don't think much of your own self-worth so that someone would bother.

Which, sad. Or I'm reading too much into it.

pat32082 | May 19, 04:15 CET

No, I pretty much agree with your interpretation, Pat. I didn't imagine he was gonna go home after the wedding and have sex with Echo.

And the rest of your post was also good.

sumogrip | May 19, 04:34 CET

To anyone who doesn't think that Elisa can pull this off, I'd suggest going back and watching Who Are You. Her "Buffy in Faith's body" displayed mad acting skills.
Also Sanctuary on AtS, where her emotional breakdown in the alley with Angel was most un-Faith like and beautifully done.

I'm betting that after BSG, Tricia Helfer is going to have a hell of a time getting past the "oh, she's just Six from BSG", even though she is one kick-ass actor.

Shey | May 19, 10:14 CET

Well said, Shey. I think those that have a hard time seeing anyone but Faith may have issues detaching Eliza from that character. It certainly isn't Eliza's problem or fault. It is the fault of the viewer who can't let Faith go.

IrrationaliTV | May 19, 10:22 CET

I think another good example of Eliza's mad acting skills can be found in BtVS Season 7 "Dirty Girls" - the scene in the basement with James/Spike. Those two are ripping up the screen with total ease; it's almost uncanny - their particular energies and strengths such a match for each other. I'd been an admirer of her acting since she burst onto the scene in Season 3, but watching them the night that episode aired I decided she had something pretty extraordinary - and something that seemed to be getting better and better with experience.

And yeah, I'd have to agree that seeing her as Faith in the Dollhouse trailer is truly in the eye of the beholder. I'm not seeing it at all. I think when we're seeing power and strength, we're seeing Eliza shine through, which is bound to be the case, and all to the good.

QuoterGal | May 19, 10:46 CET

Please share your wisdom with me so I can get giddy with fanboy glee.

It's hard to hope after heartbreak. I see this sort of like love-- you can hope again, or you can stay bitter and shut off forever. Everyone makes their own choice on this. I for one will be watching in January with a lot of optimism. gossi's report of massive Dollverse traffic to watch the trailer on a Sunday afternoon supports my prediction of decent to awesome ratings if this gets a proper promotion before it airs.

hot chicks line is gone...

And an excellent move, too. In proper context, I expect the line works, but as part of a brief trailer... well, if this was some random show I was seeing an ad for, that would have reduced if not ended any interest I was developing earlier in the trailer. There are too many shows that work that angle to a degree that's really disappointing.

Sunfire | May 19, 18:03 CET

In the same vein as the Buffy vs (insert villian/hero here), given Joss' penchant for girl-with-super-powers-and-attitude, and seeing filming hasn't finished yet, I have an idea I'd like to try and plant into the minds of the Dollverse gods ...

Echo vs Max Guevera
Eliza vs Jessica (the dark Jessica of old, not the new smiley one)

No way FOX could cancel the show before airing THAT. :-)

zaphod | May 27, 19:42 CET

May 18 2008